Halifax small and medium-sized businesses '˜leading the eBay way'

Using eBay data, the company has identified the top hotspots for eBay businesses, per 10,000 people in each local population.

The data, issued at the end of last year but drawn from the previous year, and using information compiled in reports from accountants PWC, Colliers on Retail and the European Commission, demonstrates that in sharp contrast to many traditional businesses, eBay small and medium sized businesses thrive outside of capital cities, with London missing out on a high placing. A spokesman for the online giant said the statistics looked at eBay seller hotspots across Europe, and, in the case of the UK, Yorkshire and the Humber shares top five placings with the East and West Midlands, the North West and the East of England.

With eBay’s stats showing Halifax leading the way in the region it demonstrates the online selling platform provides the opportunity for people to independently grow a business and secure an income even in the face of economic adversity, says the company. eBay says some of the data made perhaps unexpected reading - none of the established “tech hubs” in the five countries matched the top five seller hotspots of eBay small and medium businesses, according to a report from the European Commission.

The numbers continue to rise as eBay businesses have access to 171 million buyers who purchased almost £64 billion worth of merchandise last year, says eBay. In the UK, ten out of the top 15 postcodes for e-business density are in the Midlands or the North.